Dr. Musinguzi Unveils UWA’s 2026–2030 Strategic Plan to Boost Conservation and Tourism
Kampala — The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has launched its Strategic Plan for 2026–2030, outlining measures aimed at strengthening wildlife conservation, improving service delivery and enhancing visitor experiences in the country’s protected areas.
The strategy, unveiled on Tuesday at Protea Hotel Kampala, is accompanied by new Service Delivery Standards and a Client Charter intended to improve institutional accountability, efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Speaking at the launch, UWA Executive Director Dr James Musinguzi said the authority would adopt technology-driven approaches to improve wildlife protection and conservation management over the next five years.
“This strategic plan places innovation at the centre of conservation. By embracing technologies such as drones, GIS, forensic science and digital platforms, we are enhancing wildlife protection, strengthening anti-poaching operations and improving the overall management of our protected areas,” Dr Musinguzi said.
He said the authority would also strengthen partnerships with communities living near protected areas and other conservation stakeholders to promote sustainable wildlife management.
According to Dr Musinguzi, the plan seeks to expand Uganda’s tourism products by introducing new visitor experiences, including water-based tourism and butterfly tourism, as part of efforts to diversify the country’s tourism offerings.
UWA Assistant Commissioner for Conservation Planning Richard Kapere highlighted achievements registered under the authority’s previous strategic plan.
He said UWA cleared 13,625 hectares of invasive plant species, restored 3,825 hectares of degraded habitats and recovered 374 hectares of encroached land in the Mount Elgon Conservation Area.
Mr Kapere added that the authority maintained 1,153 kilometres of fire lines and conducted more than 114,000 anti-poaching patrols, resulting in the recovery of 156,823 poaching implements and the arrest of 11,597 suspects.
“The achievements demonstrate our continued commitment to wildlife protection, habitat restoration and law enforcement,” he said.
Alongside the strategic plan, UWA introduced Service Delivery Standards aimed at improving efficiency in the provision of services.
Assistant Commissioner for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Justus Mpirirwe said the standards require that visitors and clients at park gates be served within 10 minutes.
He said the standards are intended to improve efficiency, accountability and the quality of services offered to visitors.
UWA Commissioner for Human Resources Susan Muhumuza Nyatia said the standards also establish mechanisms for handling complaints, monitoring compliance and protecting the confidentiality of client information.
She encouraged members of the public and staff to use whistleblower channels to report misconduct, adding that the authority’s Internal Audit function would monitor adherence to the standards.
UWA Head of Communications and Public Relations Bashir Hangi said the success of the new strategy would depend on effective implementation and measurable improvements in conservation outcomes and public service delivery.
The five-year strategic plan aligns with the government’s development priorities and is expected to guide UWA’s conservation, tourism and institutional development programmes through 2030.